Proverb / Kotowaza

石に漱ぎ流れに枕す

ReadingいしにくちすすぎながれにまくらすRomajiishi ni kuchisusugi nagare ni makurasu

To be a sore loser and use far-fetched logic or quibbling to cover up a mistake.

Rinsing the mouth with stones and using the stream as a pillow

Quick Answer

To be a sore loser and use far-fetched logic or quibbling to cover up a mistake.

Literal Image: Rinsing the mouth with stones and using the stream as a pillow
How to Use It: Used to criticize or describe a person who tries to 'talk their way out' of a clear blunder by using pedantic or illogical justifications.

Readingいしにくちすすぎながれにまくらす

Romajiishi ni kuchisusugi nagare ni makurasu

Meaning

This expression describes someone who is extremely stubborn and refuses to admit they are wrong. When caught in an error, they will resort to sophisticated excuses or nonsensical reasoning to justify their actions and save face.

Literal Image

Rinsing the mouth with stones and using the stream as a pillow

How to Use It

Used to criticize or describe a person who tries to 'talk their way out' of a clear blunder by using pedantic or illogical justifications.

Tone

Carries a critical or mocking nuance regarding someone's stubborn refusal to admit fault.

Examples

理屈に合わないと分かっていても引き下がらないのは、石に漱ぎ流れに枕すだ。

Refusing to back down even when you know it makes no sense is exactly what 'rinsing with stones and pillowing on a stream' refers to.

彼は石に漱ぎ流れに枕すような負けず嫌いで、自分の誤りを決して認めない。

He is such a sore loser that he will rinse with stones and pillow on a stream before he ever admits he was wrong.

屁理屈を並べて言い逃れをするのは、石に漱ぎ流れに枕すに等しい。

Lining up sophistical excuses to escape blame is equivalent to 'rinsing with stones and pillowing on a stream'.

Learning Notes

Key Vocabulary

Estimated LeveladvancedConfidence: High

Estimate, not an official JLPT list

The phrase uses classical verb endings and refers to a specific literary anecdote, making it a high-level literary expression.

石

いし / ishi

stone

漱ぎ

くちすすぎ / kuchisusugi

rinsing the mouth

流れ

ながれ / nagare

stream; flow

枕す

まくらす / makurasu

to use as a pillow

Usage Profile

LiteraryCriticalHumorous

Usage note: This is a literary expression; in daily life, people might simply use the word 'herikutsu' (quibbling) instead.

Misread Risk

Do not take the imagery literally; it is a specific reference to an anecdote about making excuses.

Search As

石に漱ぎ流れに枕すいしにくちすすぎながれにまくらすishi ni kuchisusugi nagare ni makurasuishinikuchisusuginagarenimakurasuishi-ni-kuchisusugi-nagare-ni-makurasu

Kanji in This Proverb

石漱流枕

Related Proverbs

📝Origin

This expression comes from the 'Shishuo Xinyu' (世説新語) and the 'Book of Jin' (晋書). In the Jin Dynasty, a man named Sun Chu (孫楚) mistakenly said he would 'rinse his mouth with stones and pillow on the stream' when he meant the opposite. When challenged on the nonsensical statement, he stubbornly argued that rinsing with stones was to 'polish his teeth' and pillowing on the stream was to 'wash his ears,' using this sophistry to cover his mistake.

📝About the Jin Shu (Book of Jin)

The Jin Shu (晋書) is one of the official Chinese historical records (Twenty-Four Histories). It consists of 130 volumes and was compiled by Fang Xuanling and others during the Tang Dynasty under the orders of Emperor Taizong. It covers the history of the Jin Dynasty and was completed around 646 AD.

➕Literary and Cultural Connections

The pen name of the celebrated Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki (Natsume Kinnosuke) was taken directly from the 'Soseki' (漱石) in this proverb. Furthermore, the term 'sasuga' (流石), which expresses admiration for someone living up to their reputation, is also said to have its linguistic roots in this anecdote of stubborn cleverness.

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To be a sore loser and use far-fetched logic or quibbling to cover up a mistake.

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